This Day in History
February 7

What happened in history on this day: February 7? On February 7 in ... 590 - Pelagius II Gothic Pope (579-90), dies from plague. 1238 - Mongols attack and burn Vladimir in Russia. 1301 - Edward of Caernarion (later Edward II) becomes first prince of Wales. 1478 - Birth of Sir Thomas More lawyer/lord chancellor of England/saint (Utopia). 1522 - Treaty of Brussels Habsburgers split into Spanish/Austrian Branches. 1550 - Giovanni Maria del Monte elected Pope Julius III. 1556 - Birth of Maria van Nassau Dutch countess of Buren. 1569 - King Philip II forms inquistion in South America. 1589 - Birth of Jacob de Witt Dutch mayor (Dordrecht)/mathematician. 1593 - Jacques Amyot French humanist/abbot of Bellozanne, dies at age 79. 1609 - Ferdinand I cardinal/ruler of Toscane, dies. 1612 - Birth of Thomas Killigrew English humorist/playwright/leader (King's Men). 1613 - Michail Romanov (16) becomes czar of Russia. 1639 - Académie Française begins the Dictionary of the French Language. 1653 - Nicolas Fouquet appointed superintendent of Finance of France. 1655 - Birth of Jean-François Regnard French comedy writer (Slave in Algeria). 1668 - Dutch Prince William III dances in premiere of "Ballet of Peace". 1688 - Birth of Maria Louise van Hessen-Kassel [Marijke Meu], princess of Orange. 1693 - Birth of Anna Ivanova Romanova empress of Russia (1730-40). 1700 - Birth of Philippe Buache French geographer/cartographer (Contourlijnen). 1707 - Birth of Carl August Thielo composer. 1710 - Birth of William Boyce English organist/composer of Cathedral music. 1739 - Birth of Joseph Pouteau composer. 1740 - Birth of Adam-Philippe Custine French earl/General/Member of Parliament. 1743 - Lodovico Giustini composer, dies at age 57. 1749 - Andre Cardinal Destouches composer, dies at age 76. 1753 - Birth of Rhijnvis Feith Dutch mayor/writer (Zwolle/Thirsa). 1758 - Birth of Benedikt Emanuel Schack composer. 1764 - Birth of Ann Radcliffe London, Gothic novelist (Mysteries of Udolpho). 1779 - William Boyce composer, dies at age 67. 1792 - Austria and Prussia sign anti-French covenant. 1792 - D Cimarosa's opera "Il Matrimonio Segreto" premieres in Vienna. 1795 - 11th Amendment to US Constitution ratified, affirms power of states. 1795 - Dutch Prince William V accepts British occupation of Dutch Indies. 1801 - Birth of John Rylands England, merchant/philanthropist. 1803 - Birth of Edgar Quinet French writer/historian (Ahasvérus). 1804 - Birth of John Deere pioneer manufacturer of agricultural implements. 1809 - Birth of Frederik Paludan-Müller Danish Romantic poet (Danserinden). 1812 - In New Madrid, Missouri, a magnitude 7.4 - 8.2 earthquake occurs, the largest historical earthquake in Missouri. The town of New Madrid is destroyed. 1812 - Birth of Charles Dickens England, novelist (Oliver Twist, Tale of Two Cities). 1812 - Lord Byron makes his maiden speech in House of Lords. 1817 - Birth of Frederick Douglass Maryland, first high ranking black in US government. 1817 - Birth of Leroy Pope Walker US lawyer/Confederate minister of War (1861). 1818 - First successful US educational magazine "Academician" begins (New York City, New York). 1820 - Samuel Adams Holyoke composer, dies at age 57. 1822 - Birth of Joaquin y Garbayo Gaztambide composer. 1823 - Ann Radcliffe (Ward) English poet/author of horror novels, dies at age 58. 1823 - Birth of Richard Genee composer. 1824 - Birth of William Higgins discovered nature of spiral "nebulae". 1825 - Birth of Crystobal Oudrid y Segura composer. 1827 - Ballet (Deserter) introduced to US at Bowery Theater (New York City, New York). 1827 - Franz Anton Dimmler composer, dies at age 73. 1830 - Marcus Antonio da Fonseca Portugal Portuguese composer, dies at age 67. 1831 - Belgium adopts its Constitution. 1833 - Birth of Ricardo Palma Peru, writer/poet (Tradiciones Peruanas). 1834 - Birth of Dmitri I Mendelejev Russian chemist (devised Periodic Table). 1836 - "Sketches by Boz" (essays) published by Charles Dickens. 1837 - Birth of Sir James Augustus Henry Murray Scotland, created Oxford Dictionary. 1839 - Birth of Nicolaas G Pierson Dutch banker/Suriname premier (1897-1901). 1839 - Henry Clay declares in Senate "I had rather be right than president". 1842 - Birth of Alexandre Ribit premier (France). 1847 - Birth of Ernst Franck German composer/conductor. 1857 - Félix PBOG Earl of Merode, Belgian minister of War, dies at age 65. 1862 - Birth of Bernard Maybeck US architect (Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco). 1862 - Frantisek Jan Skroup composer, dies at age 61. 1862 - Federal fleet attack on Roanoke Island, North Carolina. 1863 - Birth of Mieczyslaw Soltys composer. 1864 - Birth of Arthur Collins singer/comedian (Peerless Quartet). 1864 - Birth of Ricardo Castro Herrera composer. 1864 - Federal troops occupy Jacksonville, Florida. 1865 - John Henry Winder, US Confederate Brigadier-General/provost marshal, dies at age 64. 1866 - Birth of Raf[ael] Verhulst [Koen Ravestein], Flemish writer (Jesus of Nazarus). 1867 - Birth of Laura Ingalls Wilder Wisconsin, children's book author (Little House on the Prairie). 1869 - Birth of Jindrich S Baar Czechoslovakia pastor/writer (Jan Cimbura). 1870 - Birth of Alfred Adler Austria, psychiatrist (Inferiority Complex). 1871 - Birth of Karl Wilhelm Eugen Stenhammer composer. 1872 - Alcorn A and M College opens. 1872 - Birth of Nikolaos "Sokrates" Politis Greek lawyer/diplomat/foreign minister. 1875 - Birth of Erkki Gustav Melartin composer. 1875 - Birth of Walter Courvoisier composer. 1876 - President Grant's private-secretary Orville acquitted in Whiskey Ring. 1877 - First Guernsey Cattle Club organizes (New York City, New York). 1877 - Birth of Feliks Nowowiejski composer. 1877 - Birth of Godfrey H Hardy England, number theorist. 1877 - Birth of Julius Curtius German minister of Foreign affairs (1929-). 1878 - Birth of Ossip Gabrilovich composer. 1878 - Pius IX "Pio Nono", [Giovanni Ferretti], Pope (1846-78), dies at age 85. 1881 - Battle at Ingogo, Transvaal Boers beat superior British forces. 1881 - Fredrik Cygnaeus Finnish poet/literature critic, dies at age 73. 1882 - Last bare knuckle champion John L Sullivan knocks out Paddy Ryan in Mississippi. 1883 - Birth of Eubie Blake ragtime composer/pianist (I'm Just Wild About Harry, Memories of You). 1883 - Birth of Paul de Backer Belgian radiologist. 1883 - Lieutenant-Colonel Borgnis-Desbordes founds Fort Bamako Niger. 1884 - Canadian Rugby Football Union forms. 1885 - Birth of Sinclair Lewis novelist/social critic (Main Street, Nobel Prize 1930). 1889 - Astronomical Society of Pacific holds first meeting in San Francisco. 1891 - Birth of Joachim Stutschewsky composer. 1891 - Great Blizzard of 1891 begins. 1892 - In Verkhoyansk, Russia, an Asian record cold temperature of -90 degrees F is recorded. 1896 - Birth of Harold Hoffman South Amboy New Jersey, (Governor-New Jersey). 1896 - Birth of Jacob Paludan Danish pharmacist/writer (Jørgen Stein). 1897 - Birth of Quincy Porter New Haven Connecticut, composer. 1897 - Galileo Ferraris Italian physicist (Ferrari), dies at age 49. 1899 - Birth of Arvid Pelshe Latvian Communist leader, CPSU Politburo member. 1900 - British troops vacate Vaal Krantz, Natal. 1900 - Labour Party forms in England. 1901 - Benjamin Edward Woolf composer, dies at age 64. 1901 - Birth of Bob den Doolaard [Cornelis Spoelstra], Dutch writer (Grape Pickers). 1901 - Queen Wilhelmina marries Prince Heinrich von Mecklenburg-Schwerin. 1902 - Birth of Ethelda Blebtrey Waterford New York, 100 metre swimmer (Olympics-gold-1920). 1903 - VVV '03 Soccer team forms in Venlo. 1904 - Baltimore catches fire (1500 buildings destroyed in 80 blocks). 1904 - Birth of Milton Krims writer (Speed). 1905 - Birth of Olf S von Euler-Chelpin Swedish physiologist. 1905 - Birth of Paul Nizan French journalist/writer (L'Humanité, La Conspiration). 1905 - Birth of Ulf Svante von Euler Sweden, physiologist (Nobel Prize 1970). 1905 - Dominican Republic signs treaty turning over customs collection to US. 1905 - Oklahoma admitted to statehood. 1906 - Birth of Henry P'u-i last emperor of China, puppet emperor of Manchukuo. 1907 - Birth of Arthur George Bottomley politician. 1908 - Birth of Clarence Clarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe Oakland California, swimmer (Olympics-gold-1932)/actor (Tarzan the Fearless, Flash Gordon). 1908 - Connie Mack sells hurler Rube Waddell to Saint Louis Browns for $5,000. 1909 - Birth of Joseph "Poeske" Scherens Flemish cyclist (champion sprinter 1932-37). 1910 - Edmond Rostand's "Chantecler" premieres in Paris. 1911 - Harry Graham cricketer (6 Test for Australia 1893-96, 301 runs), dies. 1912 - Second Dutch 11 city skate (Coen de Koenig wins (11:40)). 1912 - Birth of Derek Farr London; actor (8 O'Clock Walk, Doctor at Large). 1912 - Birth of Jane Ross Spokane Washington, actress (Audrey-Phyllis, Coed Fever). 1914 - Birth of David Ignatow US poet (Tread the Dark, Rescue the Dead). 1914 - Birth of Jacques Mornard [Ramón Mercader], murderer (Trotsky). 1914 - Birth of Ralph Whitlock writer. 1914 - Charlie Chaplin debuts "The Tramp" in "Kid Auto Races at Venice". 1914 - Steel work completed on Exposition (Civic) Auditorium, San Francisco. 1915 - First wireless message sent from a moving train to a station received. 1915 - Second Battle of Masurian Lakes German armies surrounded a Russian army. 1915 - Wladyslaw Gorski composer, dies at age 68. 1917 - Birth of Dick Emery London England; actor/comedian (Yellow Submarine, Loot, Baby Love). 1918 - Alexander Sergeyevich Taneyev composer, dies at age 68. 1919 - Birth of Dom Hélder Câmara Brazilian bishop. 1919 - Birth of Ilse Pausin Austria, figure skating pairs (Olympics-silver-1936). 1919 - Birth of Jock Mahoney actor (Range Rider, Yancy Derringer, Day of Fury). 1920 - Alexander Koltsjak Admiral/leader Russian counter-revolutionary, executed. 1920 - Birth of Eddie Bracken Astoria New York City, New York; actor (Summer Stock, Young and Willing). 1920 - Birth of Oscar Brand Winnipeg Canada, folk singer (Draw Me a Laugh). 1921 - Birth of Athol Rowan cricketer (brother of Eric, South African off-spinner). 1921 - Birth of Bryan Woods soldier/clerk. 1922 - John Willard's "Cat and the Canary" premieres in New York City, New York. 1923 - Birth of George H H Lascelles English earl of Harewood/leader (Covent Garden). 1923 - Birth of Keefe Brasselle Elyria Ohio; actor (Be Our Guest). 1924 - Birth of Cathy Long (Representative-Democrat-Louisiana, 1985-86). 1924 - Birth of Dora Bryan [Broadhurst], Southport England, actress (Taste of Honey). 1924 - Birth of Hattie Jacques Kent England, actress (Carry on Doctor). 1924 - Birth of Johnny Jordaan [Jan van Musscher], Amsterdam folk vocalist. 1924 - Mussolini government exchanges diplomats with USSR. 1925 - Birth of Arthur Berry artist. 1925 - Birth of H Eisenreich writer. 1925 - Birth of Marius Constant Rumania, Dutch composer/conductor (Paradise Lost). 1925 - Birth of Romolo Valli actor (Bobby Deerfield, Fistful of Dynamite, La Viaccia). 1926 - Birth of Konstantin Petrovich Feokistov USSR, cosmonaut (Voskhod I). 1927 - Birth of John Buller composer. 1928 - First solo England to Australia flight takes off (Bert Hinkler). 1928 - Birth of Al "Fuzzy" Smith baseball player. 1931 - Ion Vidu composer, dies at age 67. 1931 - US opera, "Peter Ibbetson", by Deems Taylor premieres at Metropolitan Opera New York City. 1932 - Birth of Alfred M Worden Jackson Michigan, Colonel USAF/astronaut (Apollo 15). 1932 - Birth of Gay Talese author (Honor Thy Father). 1933 - Albert György Earl Apponyi Hung minister of Education, dies at age 86. 1933 - Colonial troops in Suriname kill two demonstrators. 1933 - Social-Democrat meeting in Berlin "As thousands cheer" Marxism is dead. 1934 - First contract for TVA power, Tupelo Mississippi. 1934 - Birth of Earl King [Solomon Johnson], rocker. 1934 - Birth of King Curtis [Curtis Ousley], Forth Worth Texas, US saxophonist (Memphis Soul Stew). 1934 - Birth of Piet Bukman Dutch minister for Development Aid (CDA). 1935 - Birth of Herb Kohl (Senator-Democrat Wisconsin). 1935 - Monopoly invented by Charles Darrow symbol Rich Uncle Pennybags. 1936 - A flag is authorized for the Vice President. 1936 - Felix the Cat, Cartoon Character, by Van Beuren from Otto Messmer. 1937 - Elihu Root US Minister of War/Foreign affairs (Nobel Prize 1912), dies at age 91. 1938 - Birth of Juan Pizarro baseball player. 1938 - Birth of Robert Frank Baksa composer. 1940 - Birth of Gary Bond England; actor (Outback, Zulu, Anne of Thousand Days). 1940 - British railroads nationalized. 1940 - Francis Ford cricketer (5 Tests for England vs Australia 1894-95), dies. 1940 - RKO Radio Pictures world premieres Disney's second animated feature film, Pinocchio, at the Central Theatre in New York City, USA. 1941 - Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey Orchestra record "Everything Happens to Me". 1942 - First indoor 15' pole vault (Cornelius Warmerdam 15' 3/8"). 1942 - Birth of Ton [ACHM] de Kok Dutch Member of Parliament (CDA). 1942 - Dorando di Desiderio Pietri marathoner (Olympics-gold-1908), dies at age 56. 1943 - Shoe rationing begins in US (may purchase up to three more pairs in 1942). 1943 - Japanese forces evacuate Gualcanal. 1944 - Bing Crosby records "Swinging on a Star" for Decca Records. 1944 - Birth of Berend baron van Voorst tot Voorst Dutch foreign state secretary (CDA). 1944 - Birth of Berry [AH] Esselink Dutch Member of Parliament (CDA). 1944 - Birth of Michael A Andrews (Representative-Democrat-Texas, 1983-). 1944 - Germans launch counter-offensive at Anzio Italy. 1945 - Birth of Gerald Davies British rugby player. 1945 - Birth of Pete Postlethwaite actor (The Boxer). 1945 - General Douglas MacArthur returns to Manila. 1945 - President Truman appoints Irwin C Mollison judge of US Customs Court. 1945 - US 76th/5th Infantry divisions begin crossing Sauer. 1946 - Birth of Hector Babenco director (Ironweed, Kiss of the Spider Woman). 1946 - Birth of Lawrence Ascott rocker (Isotope). 1946 - Birth of Sammy Johns rocker (Politics, Religion and Her). 1946 - Filibuster in US Senate kills FEPC bill. 1947 - Arabs and Jews reject British proposal to split Palestine. 1948 - "Cradle Will Rock" closes at Mansfield Theater New York City after 34 performances. 1948 - "Red" McKenzie blues-jazz singer (played comb-with-tissue-paper), dies. 1948 - Birth of Jimmy Greenspoon Los Angeles California, rock organist (3 Dog Night-Joy to the World). 1948 - Omar Bradley succeeds Dwight Eisenhower as Army Chief of Staff. 1949 - Birth of Alan Lancaster bassist (Status Quo-Down Down, On the Level). 1949 - Birth of Sunil Wettimuny cricket (Sri Lanka open batsman 1975-79 World Cups). 1949 - Joe DiMaggio becomes first $100,000/year baseball player (New York Yankees). 1950 - Birth of Burt Hooton baseball player. 1950 - Birth of Dan Quisenberry baseball pitcher (Kansas City Royals). 1950 - Birth of Marilyn Cochran Burlington Vermont, skier (Olympics-1972). 1950 - Georges Bidault forms French government. 1950 - Senator Joe McCarthy finds "communists" in US Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 1950 - US and Great Britain recognize Bao Dai Vietnamese regime. 1951 - Birth of Benny Ayala baseball player. 1951 - Birth of Manfred Schumann German Federal Republic, bobsled (Olympics-silver/bronze-1976). 1953 - Birth of Robert Brazile NFL player. 1954 - Birth of Miguel Ferrer Santa Monica California; actor (Robocop). 1954 - Jan Adam Maklakiewicz composer, dies at age 54. 1955 - Birth of Charlie Puleo baseball player. 1955 - Birth of Rolf Benirschke Boston Massachusetts, NFL place kicker/Wheel of Fortune host. 1956 - Autherine Lucy, first black admitted to University of Alabama, is expelled. 1957 - Birth of Carney Lansford baseball player. 1957 - Birth of Damaso Garcia baseball player. 1957 - Rudolph Reti composer, dies at age 71. 1958 - Birth of Manuel Mijares in Mexico; Spanish vocalist (Maria Bonita). 1958 - Brooklyn Dodgers officially become the Los Angeles Dodgers, Inc. 1958 - Dutch auto-transmission car DAF 600 introduced. 1958 - Walter Kingsford, actor (My Favorite Blonde, Fly by Night), dies at age 76. 1959 - Birth of Brian Travers; rock saxophonist (UB40 - "Red Red Wine"). 1959 - Birth of Sammy Lee; British soccer player. 1959 - Castro proclaims new Cuban constitution. 1959 - Cessna jet lands in Las Vegas after 65 days without landing (refuels in air). 1959 - Daniel F Malan, premier of South Africa (1948-54), dies at age 84. 1959 - Dorothy Rigney sells Chicago White Sox to Bill Veeck for a reported US$27 million. 1959 - Napoleon Lajoie, baseball player, dies at age 83. 1959 - Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones, rocker, dies at age 32. 1960 - Birth of James Spader in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Endless Love, Wall Street, Mannequin). 1960 - Birth of Steve Bronski; rock synthesizer (Bronski Beat - "Smalltown Boy"). 1960 - Igor V Kurtshatov, Russian nuclear physicist, dies at age 57. 1960 - Old handwriting found in at Qumran, near the Dead Sea. 1961 - Jane Fonda makes her acting debut in the NBC drama A String of Beads. 1961 - Louis-Ferdinand Céline, French physician/author/anti-Semite, dies at age 67. 1962 - Arthur Carr, cricketer (11 Tests for England 22-29), dies shovelling snow. 1962 - Birth of Alan Sippy; cricketer (dashing Bombay lefty batsman of 1980s). 1962 - Birth of David Bryan; rock keyboardist (Bon Jovi - "You Give Love a Bad Name"). 1962 - Birth of Garth Brooks in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; country singer ("No Fences", "Ropin' the Wind"). 1962 - Gas explosion in Luisanthal coal mine in Voelklingen, Germany, kills 298. 1962 - US President John Kennedy begins blockade of Cuba. 1963 - Birth of Heidemarie M Stefanyshyn-Piper in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Lieutenant Commander USN/astronaut. 1963 - Birth of Jason Adams in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Ryan's Hope, A Nightmare on Elm Street). 1963 - Birth of Roland Lefebvre; cricket pace bowler (Glamorgan and Holland). 1964 - Baskin-Robbins introduces Beatle Nut ice cream. 1964 - Birth of Cynthia "Sippy" Woodhead in Riverside, California, USA; swimmer (Olympics-silver-1984). 1964 - Boxer Cassius Clay becomes a Muslim and adopts the name Muhammad Ali. 1964 - Hermann A J Kees, German Egyptologist, dies at age 77. 1964 - Lillian Copeland, US discus thrower (Olympics-gold-32), dies at age 59. 1964 - Roger Sessions' 5th Symphony premieres. 1965 - Birth of Jason Gedrick in Chicago, Illinois, USA; actor (Heavenly Kid, Class of '96). 1965 - Birth of Kristal Parker-Gregory in Columbus, Ohio, USA; LPGA golfer (1995 Hawaiian-20th). 1965 - Birth of Reginald Thal; soccer player (MVV). 1965 - Nance O'Neil, actor (Cimarron, Royal Bed, Rogue Song), dies at age 90. 1965 - Operations begin at Grupo Folklorico Antiyano on Curaçao. 1965 - US begins regular bombing and strafing of North Vietnam. 1966 - Birth of Chris Rock; comedian (Saturday Night Live, CB4, Boomerang). 1967 - Birth of Joseph Tilford Leigh Greene in Dayton, Ohio, USA; long jumper (Olympics-bronze-1992, 1996). 1967 - Henry Morgenthau, US minister of Finance (devaluated dollar), dies at age 74. 1968 - Belgium government of Vanden Boeynants falls. 1968 - Birth of Martin Sinner in Koblenz, Germany; tennis star (1990 Pretoria). 1968 - Birth of Michael Stich; German Federal Republic, tennis star. 1968 - Birth of Peter Bondra in Lutsk, Ukraine; NHL right wing (Washington Capitals). 1968 - Nick [Aloysius Adamschock] Adams, actor (Interns, Pillow Talk, FBI Story, Johnny Yuma-The Rebel), dies of drug overdose at age 36. 1968 - Stuart Foster, singer (Galen Drake Show), dies at age 49. 1969 - This Is Tom Jones debuts on ABC TV. 1969 - Al-Fatah-leader Yasser Arafat becomes president of Palestinian Liberation Organization. 1969 - Bainbridge Crist, composer, dies at age 85. 1969 - Birth of Bucky Richardson; US football quarterback (Houston Oilers). 1969 - Birth of Fiona Robinson in Collie, Western Australia; basketball player (Olympics-bronze-1996). 1969 - Diane Crump becomes first woman jockey at a major US racetrack (Hialeah, Florida). 1970 - Hollywood Palace last airs on ABC TV. 1970 - Birth of Chris Gardocki; NFL punter (Indianapolis Colts). 1970 - Birth of Denis Chasse in Montréal, Quebec, Canada; NHL right wing (Winnipeg Jets). 1970 - Birth of Stanley Roberts; NBA center (Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves). 1970 - LSU's "Pistol" Pete Marovich scores 69 points in losing cause. 1970 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Janet Lynn. 1970 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Tim Wood. 1971 - Birth of Andrew Currey; Australian javelin thrower (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Marvin Graves; Canadian Football League quarterback (Montreal Alouettes). 1971 - Women win the right to vote in Switzerland. 1972 - Birth of Aftab Habib; cricketer (Leicestershire right-handed batsman 1996). 1972 - Birth of John Slaney in Saint John's, Newfoundland, Canada; NHL defenseman (Los Angeles Kings). 1973 - First time New York Rangers shut-out New York Islanders 6-0. 1973 - Birth of Billy Baumhoff in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; soccer midfielder/forward (Olympics-gold-1996). 1973 - Birth of Juwan Howard; NBA forward/center (Washington Bullets/Wizards). 1973 - Birth of Kristin Godridge in Traralgon, Australia; tennis star (1993 Futures-Singapore). 1973 - Birth of Leanne Schuster in Mesa, Arizona, USA; WPVA volleyballer (National-9th-1995). 1973 - Birth of Sonia Paquette in St-Janvier, Québec, Canada; hurdler (Olympics-1996). 1973 - Birth of Tim Bowens; NFL defensive tackle (Miami Dolphins). 1973 - US Senate creates Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities. 1974 - Arline Judge, actress (Age of Consent), dies at age 61. 1974 - Birth of Ryan Phillips; linebacker (New York Giants). 1974 - Birth of Steve Nash; NBA guard (Phoenix Suns). 1974 - Grenada gains independence from Britain (National Day). 1974 - Mel Brooks' film Blazing Saddles opens in movie theaters. 1975 - Birth of Alexandre Daigle in Montréal, Quebec, Canada; NHL center (Ottawa Senators). 1975 - Birth of Marika Lehtimaki; ice hockey center (Finland, Olympics-1998). 1975 - Brendan Fay, actor (Hustler, Man on a Swing), dies at age 54. 1975 - NBA New Orleans Jazz end a 28-game road losing streak. 1976 - Birth of Hrafnhildur Hafsteinsdottir; Miss Iceland-Universe (1996). 1976 - Birth of Terry Battle; running back (Detroit Lions). 1976 - Darryl Sittler, Toronto Maple Leafs, sets NHL record with 10 points in a game. 1976 - World's largest telescope (600 cm) begins operation (USSR). 1977 - Birth of Christine Scheels in New Berlin, Wisconsin; speed skater (Olympics-1994). 1977 - Birth of Hillary Wolf in Chicago, Illinois; extra lightweight judoka (Olympics-1996). 1977 - Herman Dooyeweerd, Dutch philosopher/lawyer, dies at age 82. 1977 - Soyuz 24 launches with two cosmonauts. 1978 - Ethiopian offensive in Ogaden desert. 1979 - Birth of Cerina Vincent; Miss Nevada Teen-USA (1996). 1979 - Colonel Benjedid Chadli succeeds President Boumédienne in Algeria. 1979 - Faoud Bacchus scores 250 for West Indies vs India at Kanpur. 1979 - Josef Mengele, concentration camp doctor, drowns. 1979 - Neptune becomes farthest planet from the sun in our solar system (will remain that way for 20 years). 1979 - Toronto Maple Leafs' Darryl Sittler scores NHL record 10 points (6 goals). 1980 - Birth of Dionne Quan; Chinese-American voice actress. 1980 - Ernst Kunz, composer, dies at age 88. 1980 - Katherine Emery, actress (Maze, Isle of the Dead), dies at age 73. 1982 - Luis A Monge elected President of Costa Rica. 1982 - Joanne Carner wins LPGA Elizabeth Arden Golf Classic. 1983 - Birth of Elin Grindemyr; Swedish model. 1984 - Michael Jackson awarded a 4-foot-high platinum disc by CBS. 1984 - Astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart make the first untethered space walk. 1984 - Brooks West, actor (Richard - My Friend Irma), dies at age 67. 1985 - Birth of Tina Majorino; American actress. 1985 - "New York, New York" becomes the official anthem of New York City, New York. 1985 - Albert Dondeyne, Belgian philosopher/theologist, dies at age 83. 1985 - Birth of [Alber]Tina Marie Majorino; actress, (Waterworld, When a Man Loves a Woman). 1985 - New Jersey Devils' Don Lever becomes 57th NHL player to score 300 goals. 1985 - Uday Merchant, cricketer (brother of Vijay, prolific scorer), dies. 1986 - Birth of Deanna Casaluce; Canadian actress (Degrassi). 1986 - Armand Preud'homme, Flemish organist/lyricist, dies at age 81. 1986 - Haiti's President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier flees to France, ending 28 years of family rule; Henri Namphy becomes leader of Haiti. 1986 - Philippine Corazon Aquino defeats incumbent dictator Ferdinand Marcos but fraudulent returns give the election to Marcos. 1986 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Debi Thomas. 1987 - David Savoy Jr, rock manager (Hüsker Du), commits suicide at age 24. 1987 - Madonna's "Open Your Heart" single goes #1. 1987 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Brian Boitano. 1987 - For only the second time, a Major League Baseball player is forced to take a pay cut due to salary arbitration. Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Orel Hershiser signs for US$800,000 which is a twenty percent reduction. 1988 - 38th NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 138-133 at Chicago, Illinois. 1988 - Heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson marries actress Robin Givens. 1988 - Lin[wood V] Carter, American science-fiction writer (Lost World of Time), dies at age 57. 1988 - NFL Pro Bowl: AFC beats NFC 15-6. 1988 - Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Mazda Golf Classic. 1988 - Birth of Ai Kago, Japanese singer. 1989 - 40th NHL All-Star Game: Campbell beat Wales 9-5 at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 1989 - The Los Angeles, California, City Council bans the sale or possession of semiautomatic weapons. 1989 - Birth of Louisa Lytton, English actress. 1990 - Dom Heider Camara, nonviolent/human rights Bishop of Brazil, dies. 1990 - Jimmy Van Heusen, American composer (Call Me Irresponsible), dies at age 77 (born 1913). 1990 - Karachi police kill 22 anti-nationalistic demonstrators. 1990 - Nathan Wartels, publisher (Crown), dies from pneumonia at age 88. 1990 - The Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party agrees to give up its monopoly of power. 1990 - Birth of Steven Stamkos, Canadian ice hockey player. 1991 - Bob Knight, Larry O'Brien, Tiny Archibald, Dave Cowens, Harry Gallatin, and Larry Fleisher elected to NBA Hall of Fame. 1991 - Dick Winslow, actor (Tom Sawyer, Mutiny on the Bounty), dies at age 75. 1991 - Gladys LaVerne dies of heart problems at age 87. 1991 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide sworn in as Haiti's first elected president. 1991 - The Provisional Irish Republican Army launches a mortar attack on 10 Downing Street during a cabinet meeting. 1991 - Death of Amos Yarkoni, legendary Israeli soldier (born 1920). 1992 - Birth of Maimi Yajima, Japanese singer. 1992 - Disney releases the Hollywood Pictures live-action feature film Medicine Man to theatres in the USA. 1992 - Jeanne Gerson dies of cancer and pneumonia at age 87. 1992 - Shannon Rhea Marketic, 22, (California), crowned 41st Miss USA. 1992 - The Maastricht Treaty is signed, founding the European Union. 1993 - Arthur Ashe, tennis star (Wimbledon 1975), dies of AIDS at age 49 (born 1943). 1993 - NFL Pro Bowl: AFC beats NFC 23-20. 1993 - Birth of David Dorfman, American actor. 1993 - Pebbles Flintstone and Bamm Bamm Rubble wed. 1993 - Tammie Green wins LPGA Healthsouth Palm Beach Golf Classic. 1993 - W Sybout A Colenbrander, Dutch historian/journalist, dies at age 82. 1994 - 21st American Music Awards: Whitney Houston wins. 1994 - Howard Stern stops a would-be jumper on the George Washington Bridge. 1994 - Maarten Vrolijk, Dutch Social-Democrat minister (CRM 1965-66), dies at age 74. 1994 - Richard Bissell, US under director of US Central Intelligence Agency (Pig's Bay), dies at age 84. 1994 - Death of Witold Lutoslawski, Polish composer (born 1913). 1995 - Helen Wallis, cartographer/librarian, dies at age 70. 1995 - Last day of Test Cricket cricket for Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting. 1995 - Massimo Pallottino, Italian archaeologist (Etruscologia), dies at age 86. 1996 - George Lowthian Trevelyan, designer/visionary, dies at age 89. 1996 - Isian Kehinde I K Dairo musician/academic, dies at age 65. 1996 - Lillian Rambach, teacher violinist, dies at age 84. 1996 - Lydia Korneevna Chukovskaya, writer, dies at age 88. 1996 - Tiny Winters, musician, dies at age 87. 1996 - Death of Boris Alexandrovich Tchaikovsky, Russian composer (born 1925). 1996 - Birth of Mai Hagiwara, Japanese singer. 1997 - Danil Shafran, cellist, dies at age 74. 1998 - (to February 22) The 18th Olympic Winter Games are held in Nagano, Japan. 1998 - NHL's Dallas Stars retire Neal Broten's #7. 1998 - Death of Lawrence Sanders, American author (born 1920). 1999 - King Hussein of Jordan dies from cancer (born 1935), and his son Abdullah II inherits the throne. 2000 - Stipe Mesic is elected president of Croatia. 2000 - Death of Big Pun, American rapper (born 1971). 2001 - Death of Dale Evans, American actress and singer (born 1912). 2001 - Death of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, American author and aviator (born 1906). 2004 - Several leaders of Abnaa el-Balad are arrested in Israel. 2005 - The Detroit Tigers sign right fielder Magglio Ordonez for five-years for US$75 million. 2006 - An aging Egyptian passenger ferry carrying more than 1,400 people sinks in the Red Sea off the Saudi coast. 2006 - Venezuela's Caracas Lions wins its first Caribbean Series championship since 1989, defeating the Dominican Republic's Licey Tigers. 2007 - HSBC announces it is setting aside US$10 billion to cover bad loans in its US mortgage division. 2007 - Sharon Osbourne announces that Ozzfest 2007 is free. 2007 - Death of Alan MacDiarmid, New Zealand chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1927). 2007 - Death of Helen Duncan, New Zealand politician (born 1941). 2008 - In the USA, CBS airs the premiere of the reality TV show Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites. You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history. Bookmark this URL:   http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/thisday/   and revisit each day. (this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing the current day's events) Or, visit my Timelines of History page. Other web pages of interest: Chronology of World History